Learn how to become a good interviewer with our list of Attributes.
It takes years to become a good interviewer, just ask Larry King or Katie Couric. Our producer, Pat Burns, has 35 years of experience in corporate client testimonials. He created a list of six attributes for an interviewer to follow for a successful interview. The main purpose of an interview is to show your audience an opinion and/or experience of a unique perspective on a subject. A good interview improves credibility because the message is coming from an independent source. These six attributes will improve your interviewing skills for any type of interview.
6 Attributes to Become a Good Interviewer
1 – KEEP INTERVIEWEE RELAXED AND COMFORTABLE
As an interviewer, you must keep the interviewee relaxed and comfortable. They will look more honest on camera. Understand your interviewee. Engage them before the questions begin.
Tip: Before your interview introduce yourself to the interviewee. Make small talk. Ask some general questions about them. Find commonalities between yourself and the interviewee. This will strengthen the bond between you and the interviewee, even if you have never met before this event. Most people being interviewed are nervous. Let them know a little about yourself to calm their nerves.
2 – AUTHENTIC ENGAGED RESPONSES
Capture your interviewee responding with authentic engaging answers. Rehearsed answers make the interviewee look disconnected from the audience. Rather than answering your questions, interviewees focus on remembering what they want to say.
Tip: Reword the questions if the answers seem rehearsed. Try not to send a copy of the questions to the interviewee beforehand. If you have to have backup questions for the day of the interview. Remind them that any answer they do not like will be cut out.
3 – UNDERSTAND THE ANSWERS
Understand not only the questions but also the answers sought to achieve the ultimate message. This allows the interviewee to know if he or she is on track with the interview and more importantly if the perspective is unique and revealing.
Tip: Read over all the questions. Ask how this interview will be implemented in your client’s marketing. Ask who the target audience is and what the end goal is of the video. Research any information you do not know, especially topics in technology. Most importantly know a little about your interviewee.
4 – CREATE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS
Listen intently and lead the interview with great follow-up questions that will elicit unique insights and enhance the final message. Follow-up questions should either clarify information or connect the answer back to the main topic.
Tip: Follow up a complex question with a simplistic question. Most of the time it will result in a better defined answer because the interviewee understands it better.
5 – BE HUMBLE!
Your target audience should be able to understand your interviewee’s answers. Only through acceptance of our own ignorance can we learn anything. Many times simple questions will elicit the best soundbites. Don’t be afraid to ask any question as long as you maintain control of the interview.
Tip: Use your ignorance of the topic as an asset. If you don’t understand, then most likely other people will not understand. Ask questions that may be obvious. They will be good sound bites for introducing the topic.
6 – STAY ON TOPIC
Keep your interviewee on topic. Don’t be afraid to interrupt if your target message changes direction. Executed efficiently, this technique enhances the engagement and passion of the interview. It also saves time in post-production and ultimately saves in cost.
Tip: If the interviewee is answering your questions with general vague statements, then start asking questions that elicit more specific answers. Remember the five Ws? Use who; what; when; where; and why to create open-ended questions.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
These six attributes seem pretty basic, but they take practice. An interviewer must apply these attributes in real-time while maintaining flow and control in their interview. This can be challenging when you know little about the subject. When executed effectively, these six attributes will elicit praise from your interview subjects and clients. The expert interviewee will want to explain precisely so you will understand. They will contemplate the answer which will further drive their engagement and passion.